The Irish standard., 1887-01-01

IRISH STANDARD: 81
and you made my head dizzy with
nope. You sported with me. sir-you
mocked me. Ihave been disappointed. .
:Great Heaven!' Spellacy exclaimed,
drawing back with stare of confusion
and dismay, blended with an expression
of deep detection. The emotion was
sufficiently well counterfeited to impose
on Kumba, who thought he could dis
cern, moreover, certain degree Of self
reproach in the attitude, downcast and
dropping, in which his frien remained
his hands clasped, and hanging down
before his mouth agape, and his black
eyes fixed on the ground With the air
of one who has received news of sud-
den misfortune from quarter to which
he looked for joyous intelligence.
stFor my part. Spellacy,' the young
man continued, II do not come to ask
you to tax your ingenuity for any new
advice. All is over with me now, and 1
only seek you for the purpose Of laying
before you my intention; for I have at
last formed a design for myself. And
first hear me. You know that it is to
me that you owe this house in which
you dwell, and all that you possess. -
81 am proud to own it. Mr. Kumba, I
am proud to own it,
"You came to me poor, destitute and
moneyless-and you came to me in a
lucky hour. I had just received Mrs.
Byrne's cold-hearted letter, in which she
bargained With so much keen-sighted
precision for the exact quantom of pru-
dence and good behavior which was to
entiile me once more to re-admission
into their family circle. You found me
endeavoring to drown the consciousness
of the heartless repulse in the fumes of
of strong drink. You siezed the mo-
ment-you told me that lovely girl
had eloped with you from the comforts
Of wealthy home, and that you had
not one guinea in the world to secure
her even the means Of subsistence for a
week. There was some story about
your losses, too. You told me. I think,
that you had been reduced to that ex-
treme poverty by having had the mis-
fortune to fall in with the remnant Of
Redmond O'Hanlon's gang, who had
taken up their residence for some time
in this part Of the country, and who, by
the way, are strongly suspected of being
the fabricators and utterers of the false
coin that has spread to such an extent
through our towns and villages, although
every attempt to discover their retreat
has been hitherto unavailing.''
Spellacy here turned aside for the
purpose of concealng smile, which he
seemed unable wholly to suppress.
my heart" Kumba continued, tttorn
and wounded as it was with it's own in
juries, was open to your plea, and,
what perhaps was more to the purpose
in your eyes, my purse was open also"
''It was-I freely own, sir,'' said the
other, Il freely own it. Mr.. Kumba."
"Well," said the young man, t'since
that time, you have been forming plan
after plan, to enable me to carry into ef-
feet the views which you knew I enter
tanned, with respect to that dear-but
rigidly righteous being-and every
scheme has ended in fixing my despair
upon me more firmly than ever. I will
not suspect your truth. I believe you
really were grateful-but you have
brought me to the gates of ruin, and I
will take the liberty Of lifting the latch
without your assistance. I have re-
solved on selling off the remainder of
my little property, and purchasing a
pair of colors with the product. I am
careless now of life or fortune, and had
rather die in the noise and tumult of a
camp, than let sorrow waste me to death
in this desert. Ihave not forgotten you,
however. You meant we'll, Spellacy,
although you were not so successful as
could have wished; and I have there
fore, taken care to secure the leasehold
of your house and small farm to you, for
the original term of my holding. Here
Is the instrument"
s'You had always generous heart,
Mr.. Kumba,'' said Spellacy, whose
manner expressed at once satisfaction at
the gift, and alarm at the step that Kum-
ba meditated, and which appeared like
ly to thwart most efectually the pro-
gress of his own designs; t'but surely,
sir, I haven't heard you rightly. Go
into the army! And IS that the way
you'll give her up, after all that has
been done-and with the fairest chances
in your favor that mortal man could
wish for? Let me know the cause, sir,
at any rate; what is it that has made
Il